The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-02
A McEEAL cPTG2ES PDCutET-
TON.
III 4 LETTER e 4 EELPEl5 FRIEND
- DEFINES us FoETICH.
Ea VIII Exert whatever Of Influence Ee
May Have Againlt Dangerous
s1d Fanat.eal Leg ;z.at!on.


Se''y. Of Liquor Dealers Association
at Memphis, Tenn, He gives a
strong prcse Ia in of the reasons
that Urge him to oppose.Prohibition.
Bolivar, Tenn, Aug 10, 1887.
M. J. Malcolm Semmes:
/ My Dear Sir-Yours Of the 18th
to hand. l have never objected in
my life, ana never expect 10 object,
to give an op't ion, when asked, on
any matter of public interest.
/ most certainly oppose the pro-
posed prohibition amendment, and
will exert, as q private citizen,
whatever Of influence [ may have
against such dangerous and tanatIcal
legislation.
Wmle the question is rot party
gu stion, it is emphatically a politi>
cal one, Of the greatest importance.
Its unde lying idea goes t. The very
roots Of all poll les.
ProhibitIouists argue that it is a
question Of religion and morals.
Their argument Is mis|ea ling and
untrue It's purely political. The
limits Of legislation in a free gov
eminent shonId be confined to the
correction Of abuses in our god~glv-
en- liberty, and should never stretch
to interference with the uses Of that
liberty. Human laws should not,
aud do not pretend to care sin,
they ONLY aim to punish crime, and
pres erve the social economy, secur-
/ ing each man from any improper
encroachment by his nelghbor.
Ii the question be put on grounds
purely religious, then the Bible
must be taken as a platform, and
noxhere in the Bible can there be
found any warrant for prohibition
{ still there are many zealOts who
, think they could make q bate, BIZ
bic on twenty -four hours notice.
1.-THE question be put on purely
, moral grounds, It does not help the
, prohibition idea. Moral RESPONSE
bility includes The fullest PERSONAL
liberty, and free agency Of the indI,
vidual, and enforced prohibition is
directly in the teeth Of true mora
responsibility.
The question is not a religious
one. 1t Is not moral question.
L IS purely political question; q
: fact many Of its advocates well un
derstand.
There is no warrant III the Bible
for making it a religious question
there can lie no logic in ssUmipg i
as a moral question; for moral re-
zponsibi,ity implies moral freedom
ana truman legislation claims nc
part, or parcel, in the formation 0
the Christian creed, Human leg
/ lslation should doub tess give it
aid to all that may seem g9od 70
+, society, from its human standpoint
: but it claims no Inspiration from O
high.
We want a country of free meT
y honest men, temperate men at
-, Christian men. We do not wan
= q system OF laternalism whic
- makes slaves Of orr people, nor d
, we want nursery Of hypocriLes an
= Pharisees endowed by system {
e legislation on morals aud appe
tiles.
We Go not ant TO incorporat
= into laws the rule that eve com
round for SINS that we are incline
! to, by damn,lg those we have
-. mind TO"
MI Maj rites Of men, who are ad
dicted to one particular vice, an
= have no taste or some other parti
q ulqr wee, cou.d easily make ne
~, moral code wuIch would be vel
= SOFT when it toochcd their vice, bI
very hard when it touched The vice
oi their ne, ghbors.
n The cheats and the swindlers, tt
70 adulturers and the drunkards. Il
lis lars and the covetous, could organ
IN i4e political art;es without nun
at Der.
III Some Prohibition leader vi
ID fees UGH horrOr at a spe.al VIC
to he is not inclined to, mig do y,
s. to reflect upon the soft Judgment
1t passes on hl.selt, tor the way
l. has swindleC the public and b
nelghbors in ears gone by. H.
man natute is 100 weak to trui
ry tins character OF legislation to i
pit, wisdom.
On Allmen must recognize the
rs their responsibility to
H. higher power, in ACT and eXampl
al and al human kind, including G
lu dear women, and our esteem
u clergy, should leave the solution
ats such questions TO wisdom high
st Than ours. We should labor for
W slch reforms, as best we can, IN t.
nd family, IN the sociai circls and
5. church, but by all means shou
VS. avoid the grievous mistake Of q
he tempting to maze perfect ChrisIa
no by Legislative enactment,